Who's your +1 at the polls?

When I said, “you’re invited” you perked up a bit, didn’t you? PAR-TAY! And then when I said, “who’s your +1 at the polls,” you went back to listlessly refreshing Facebook, or maybe wondering what to have for lunch.

Physically going to the polls isn’t much of a party. And partisan politics? DEFINITELY no party. Nevertheless, we at the non-partisan EngenderMediaGroup wanted to invite you to think about 2014, and hopefully all elections, in a new way.

Fact: Statehouses across the country have been debating and passing numerous bills directly affecting women. Regardless of which side of the debate you find yourself arguing, it’s imperative you are part of the process — along with your +1. In fact, your +1 may vote entirely opposite from you but what matters is you are both at the polls on election day.

Truth: women vote on their own behalf, but often for someone else as well. Think about how and why YOU vote:

A sibling votes so her disabled brother gets the Social Security checks he needs. A mother votes with her child’s best interests in mind. A woman just graduating from college votes because she is glued to the news of yet another gun shooting, or a piece of glacier falling into the Arctic ocean, or the latest scandal involving a politician she once admired. All of our votes reflect all of our stories. We want to hear them.

So as it gets closer to November, we’re asking you — what’s on your mind and who’s in your heart when you vote? Who’s your +1 at the polls? Tell us, and bring them to vote.

By Karen Skelton When I go to vote, my Plus 1 is my niece Georgia Henry. She’s 23, fabulous, and sometimes too busy to think about voting. She’s also moved to midtown, Sacramento and may not know where her voting place is. I think of her because young people are the pipeline to our future […]

By Ruth Haskins, MD You might say I was born with the desire to help make things better. As a child, I was a peacekeeper, trying to mend a difficult family dynamic. In school, I volunteered as the trainer for all the high school women’s sports teams – the “Team Doc,” if you will – […]